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f `(No Model.) 2 sneetsQsheet 1.

B. D. STEVENS. RBFRIGERATOR.

N. PETERS. Phuxwmmgmpmf. wsmingwn. u c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. D. STEVENS. REPRIGERATOR.

No. 345,607. Patented July 13, 188e.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOURTHS TO THEODORE REFRIG S. PECK, OF SAME PLACE.

ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,607, dated July 13,1886.

Application filed February l0, iS

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN D. STEVENS, of Burlington, in theState ofVermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRefrigerators, of which the following is a specication.

My invention has relation to that class of refrigerators in which theice or refrigerating chamber, the provision-chambers, and the pasiosagev or passages through which circulation-is `maintained are combinedwith a cut-off which, when any one of the provision-doors of therefrigerator is opened, automatically closes the ice or refrigeratingchamber against the en- 5 trance of warm air, and which, on the otherhand, when all of the doors are closed, opens, so as to permitcirculation to be again established. In the arrangement that I havedevised the air before entering the ice-chamber 2o passes around it, sothat when it docs enter therein it has become considerably cooled, theresult being thatl in practice a considerable saving of ice is effected.Furthermore, the air preferably enters the ice-chamber at nearly 2 5 itslowest part, where the atmosphere is coldest, and after taking acircuitous course around the shutteror cut-off (which is located at thatpoint in the ice-chamber) passes out from the chamber to descend to theprovision-spaces of 3o the refrigerator. The cut-off itself is arrangednot in the air-circulating passages, but in the walls of the ice-chamberitself. Itis so placed that when shut it closes the ice'chamber againstthe ingress of warm air or the egress of cold 3 5 air, and when opendirects the air-circulation into and through the ice-chamber.

The foregoing and other features of my improvements will be readilyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

4o whichm Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a refrigeratorembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspectivevview of the shutterand its operating mechanism, the portions of the refrigerator adjacentto said parts being represented in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a front viewof the refrigerator.

A is the body of the refrigerator, which contains the ice-chamber B andprovision space 5o or chambers C, with passages D for the circu- FG,Serial No. 192,576. (No model.)

lation of air, as indicated by the arrows. The ice-chamber is made ofzinc or some metal, and vthe circulating-passages lead over its topanddown its side, so that the warm air first comes in contact with theseparts, and thus becomes considerably cooled before actually entering theice-chamber. Near the lower right-hand corner of the ice-chamber is aside opening, a, which is controlled by the shutter or cutoff D',pivotcd so lthat it can be moved to open or close, as desired. Thenopen, (as indicated by full lines in Fig. 1,) it closes` the directexterior ci rculating-passagcs, D, so as to compel the descending air toenter the ice-chamber and pass in a circuitous course through the coldlower part of the chamber and around the shutter itself before it canagain pass into the exterior passages, l). ln other words, the shutteror cnt-off, when open, forms a partition or barrier to pass beyond whichthe air must go around through the ice-chamber. O11 the other hand, whenit is shut it opens the direct external passages, D, while it entirelycloses the ice-chamber against communication with that passage, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. In order to cause this shutter orcut-off to close whenever any onc of the provisionfdoors of therefrigerator is opened, and to again open only when all of said doorsare closed, a variety of known means can be resorted to. One simplearrangement for the purpose is represented in the drawings. A spring, b,of any suitable kind, tends to move the shutter to and hold it in aposition in which it closes the ice-chamber.

Pivoted at a suitable point, c, on the interior of the refrigerator isthe push or opening lever d, whose bent free end bears against or is incontact with the shutter. rllhis lever, if pulled to the left, will, asseen, move in a direction to force and hold open the shutter against thestress of spring b. To impart this movement to thelever at theappropriate time, it is connected at a point, e, to a wire,]1 whichleads to a bell-crank lever, f, pivoted at g, and hav ing one of itsarms connected to the wire and the other projecting so as to be struckand forced back by the door E (seen in dotted lines) when the latter isclosed. The effect of this movement of the bellcrank lever is to pullthe opening-lever in a direction to open the shutter, and the latter isheld in this position so long as the door is closed. When there is onlyone door E, but one wire h is required, and it may be connected directlyto the opening-lever. Vhere, however, there are two doors, E, as in therefrigerator represented in the drawings, there must, as seen, be awire, l1, and an angle-lever, f, foreach door, and the two wires must beconnected, not directly to the opening-lever, but to opposite ends of anarm, fi, pivoted at its middle at yif to a link, j, attached to theopening-lever. Under this arrangement the opening of either one of thedoors will permit the shutter to close, andthe shutter cannot again beopeucduntilall of the doors are closed. rIlie icc is supported upon arack in the ice-chamber seme little distance above the bottom of thelatter, and the door of the iee-chalnber extends below the rack, so thatwhen the door is opened access can be had tothe space beneath the rackfor cleaning or other purposes. The bottom of the ieecham ber isinclined, as usual, and is provided, as customary, with the drip openingor tube k, which, below the bottom of the ice-chamber, continues in theform of a guttcror half-tube, Z, to or near a trough, m, inthe bottom ofthe refrigerator. From the trough leads the customary dischargepipe,which on the exterior is provided with the ordinary trap to prevent,entrance of air.

rlhe advantage of usiug the half-tube in the place of afull-round tubeis that there is less liability of the device being choked up by slimeand refuse, which with the full-round tube sometimes happens with theresult of causing the overflow ofthe refrigerator.

I have described my invention in connection with what is commerciallyknown as a refrigerator,77 but I desire it to be understood that it canbe applied to structures of larger sizesuch as cars, buildings,&e.-intended for refrigerating and cooling purposes, and I desire to beunderstood as including such applications in my claims.

Vhat I claim herein as new and of my own invention isl. The combinationof the ice-chamber, the provision chamber or chambers, theair-circulating passage, and the cutoff or shutter applied to anair-inlet in the ice-chamber, and arranged and operating, when open, toform a partition or barrier across the air-circulating passage, wherebythe air is diverted into and through the ice-chamber, and when closed toshut off communication between the ice-cham ber and said passage,substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. rlhe combination of the ice and provision chambers, theair-circulating passage, the cutoff or shutter controlling the air-inletin said ice-chamber, and arranged,when open, to form an ai r-dellectin gpartition across said passage, the provision-chambcr door or doors, andmeans, substantially as described, whereby said shutter or cut-oft' iscaused to open or close the inlet according as said doors are closed oropen, substantially as hereinbefore Set forth.

3. rlhe combination of the provision and ice chambers and the air-inletin the latter, the circulating-passagebetween them,passing over andaround the exterior of the icecharnber before reaching said air-inlet,and the automatically-operating shutter or cut-off controlling saidinlet and forming, when open, an airdellectiug` partition, substantiallyiu tllemanner and for the purposes hereiubefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day ofFebruary, 1886.

BENJAMIN D. STEVENS.

\Vituesses:

A. l. Sir. PETERS, H. T. BUTTER.

